President Biden will nominate antitrust expert Lina Khan to be a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, the White House said Monday.
Why it matters: The nomination of Khan, prominent for her work on how to apply antitrust laws to the tech industry, signals the Biden administration wants aggressive oversight of the sector.
A fire at a semiconductor chip plant in Japan threatens to make life worse for automakers already struggling to get critical chips amid a global shortage.
The big picture: The chip industry was already facing its biggest supply challenge in years amid unexpectedly strong demand, exacerbated by an earthquake in Japan and snow storm in Texas.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and other top Apple executives are expected to be among the witnesses when a trial begins in the company's legal battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games, according to an initial witness list Apple released late last Friday.
Why it matters: The lawsuit is with Epic, but at stake is Apple's way of doing business in the App Store, including its 30% cut and requirement that developers use only Apple's in-app payment system for digital goods.
Tech companies bracing for increased scrutiny in Washington are leaning on their last friends in town — the libertarians.
Why it matters: Progressive liberals and populist conservatives alike are ramping up their attacks on the tech industry. So the once-beloved darlings of Silicon Valley are scrambling to gain traction on Capitol Hill with the dwindling ranks of Republicans who still believe in laissez-faire, even for the tech industry.
David Dobrik, the YouTube star who also co-founded buzzy photo app Dispo, is stepping down from its board and leaving the company, the startup told Axios.
Why it matters: Earlier on Sunday evening, venture firm Spark Capital announced it was stepping off Dispo's board and severing ties with the company in light of recent accusations of sexual assault against members of Dobrik's entourage. Some sponsors have also cut ties with Dobrik in the last several days.
The powerful Democrat overseeing antitrust legislation wants to hit Big Tech with the legislative equivalent of a swarm of drones rather than a single, hulking battleship that would be simpler to defeat.
Driving the news: In an interview with Axios on Sunday, Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said he didn't want to give the major technology companies and their armies of lobbyists the easy target of a massive antitrust bill.
